Chased Into The Darkness
by HeartofDixieJane
Summary: When Hermione is shown that those she thought as friends were only using her through tragedy, she runs from the Order. Lost and alone, the most unexpected of allies is made and the most unexpected of bonds is formed. DarkHermione
1. Prologue

So, I published this on my original account, LoveIsLoud, but I wasn't happy with it, my other docs, nor my entire account. I wanted a fresh start, so I revised and I'm ready to give it to y'all.

Hopefully people will still read it.

So, please review and let me know what y'all think.

Chased Into The Darkness

Prologue

"Brightest Witch of Her Age" was the title that the Wizarding community donned her. Some whispered it in praise, eager to hear the extent of whatever heroic story she was involved in. Others shouted it with malicious laughter, amused that a mudblood would ever think that she could hold such a tag.

Either way, she had never asked for. Though, it was flattering.

Sometimes she really hated it; too much pressure to do everything right and never make a mistake. She was never supposed to question the Order, only to follow their instructions and not screw up, because it was always an issue of life or death.

That is exactly what she did, too: followed orders and lived up to her name. However, she was sadly mistaken in her endeavors to be the best.

It was all so pointless, she was easily dispensible and didn't even realize it until it was too late.

Her decisions were all well thought out; she wasn't one to just dive into anything head first without logical planning and analytical reasoning. No, she wasn't stupid, she had just be backed into a corner.

Her friend's turned against her.

The Order lies to her.

Dumbledore used her.

She was just a little girl to them. Utterly replaceable.

So, in saying that, understand that every choice she had to make was only done because she had no other choice.

She was chased there.

Hermione Jean Granger was chased into the Darkness.

A fatal mistake to all those that opposed her, and it was no one's fault but their own.


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening

You were a sacrifice for the greater good."

He blinked and popped a lemon drop in his mouth, then continued, "I am deeply sorry for what has happened, but you must understand that it had to happen."

The twinkle in his eyes that she had originally thought was genuine compassion, only displayed itself for what it truly was: genuine self-preservation. How he hasn't been sorted as Slytherin was behind her understanding.

Hermione's body was shaking, I was appalled.

"Professor!" She rung out, finally finding her voice. "This..this-what happened wasn't for the greater good! No one found anything! No one captured anyone! 3 weeks!"

She swallowed the lump in my throat, the sting of tears not hindering her voice, "3 whole goddamned weeks. Merlin's beard, can't any of you see that it was a terrible plan?"

Hermione looked at the faces of the people who she had added to her family. Shocked to see that there was no pity, sympathy, or even regret on their faces. The people she called her friends. The people who avoided Hermione's eye contact at all costs.

"I could've told you that if you would've informed me before throwing me to the wolves. Considering I was the only one affected!

"Do any of you know what I went through locked up with Dolohov?" No one said a word. "Huh? No one?!" Hermione screamed. Her face felt hot; she felt as if no one could hear me. Like no one cared.

"Hermione, you must grasp tha-" Dumbledore began. But Hermione wasn't going to let him downplay her torture as some kind of war tactic.

"No!" Voice cracking, she turned to him, "You don't get to say anything! You weren't there. You don't have to feel his hands on you every second of the day. You don't have to see the dreams I dream. Because you, oh magnificent Dumbledore, were here! Sitting on your ass, while I was out there filthy! Being ruined in every way by a merciless death eater. This was not fair! Why didn't I get a say in this?" Tears streamed down her cheeks, her eyes burned, and her throat was sore.

"Oi, come off of it, Hermione!" Ron yelled, on his feet. His face was red, and his expression angry. "For being the brightest bitch of our age, you're a bloody idiot."

The surprise was apparent on her face.

"Ronald! I could've been murdered for no reason!"

"Fred didn't have a say in whether or not he was to die!" Ginny, the only girl best friend she had ever had, shouted. Her eyes held hatred and her stare held no remorse for her dirty, bloody friend.

"My parents and Sirius didn't have a say!" Harry joined.

"My brothers' didn't have any say!" Molly conformed.

Hermione was speechless.

Were they really justifying her planned assault because of their lost loved ones? She just didn't understand.

These were her friends, they were supposed to hug Hermione and comfort her. Tell me that she wasn't ruined like she had felt she was. But they didn't. They made me her feel worse.

The bashing continued. Names rung from their mouths, some familiar, some not.

"The Longbottoms!"

"Edgar Bones!"

"Marta Pentick!"

"Edna and Bilius Caratoc!"

The list went on and on.

Hermione could only look on at her "friends" as they made me feel even more like shit than she already did, Dumbledore sitting back in his chair nonchalantly, popping more lemon drops in his mouth.

He had no intention of stopping them. Of comforting her. Of protecting her.

"I have no obligation to protect you, Hermione." He must have been using legilimens. "My only job is to secure the life of Harry Potter and secure the world of magic. You are not on that list."

Hermione was seeing red, and definitely not the rosy kind.

The young witch's heart was hurting and her body was in pain, and all anyone could do was keep kicking her. They kept kicking her while she was down.

Most of their screams consisted of words like "selfish", "bitch", "know-it-all", "useless"...

And "mudblood."

The poor girl's sanity had been holding on by only strings that hoped for relief. Relief through those who she had believed cared about her. Now, the strings have been snapped.

The witch brought her wand up, gripping it hard in her hand, and without hesitation, began casting curses and disarming her new opponents. Hermione wasn't thinking so much about wanting them dead, only wishing for them to understand her pain.

"Stupefy!" Ginny fell to the ground with a thump.

"Expelliarmus!" Molly's wand came to my hand.

"Conjunctivitis!" Dumbledore stumble around, his eyesight gone, wand on the ground.

"Flipendo!" Harry went flying backwards into the cathedral ceilings.

The curses began getting worse from there. Hermione didn't know what she was thinking, she could only think to punish.

It was obvious that no one was prepared for her wrath; these usually very talented duelers were clueless as to how to protect themselves.

"Furnunculus!" Ron's face became boiled and blistering.

"Incendio!" Dumbledore's office was set ablaze.

The screams got louder as everyone panicked. Everyone but Hermione, that is.

After being tortured mercilessly for 3 weeks, she learned from the best. Knew how to inflict scorching agony without so much as a flick of the wrist.

Hermione Granger knew just what she was doing.

"Immobilis!" Molly went rigid.

"Mobilicorpus!" Molly's body went into the air. Hermione turned her wrist to the right, smashing the matron into the wall.

"Mum!" Ron shouted. Harry and Ron looked back to Hermione with fear in their eyes, "Are you mad! Stop this, we're your friends you bloody bint!" Ron yelled, blood and pus pouring down his face from his bursted boils and warts.

Hermione laughed. It was so uncharacteristic, but it felt so good to cackle out at their anxiety and dread.

"Are you? Are you, really?!" She had yelled back, furious at their accusation that she was in the wrong.

Hermione knee that it wasn't the best course of action, hexing them. But they had it coming.

Hermione expected love and consolence and got degradation. They expected for her to be pushed over easily and she attacked. What did they think was going to happen when they played with a woman's soul that way?

There had been too many unexpected occurrences. So unexpected that Hermione was only going along with her body. She was not choosing to hurt them, her heart was.

Hermione's heart wanted to see them cowering in fear as she had for 3 weeks straight. She wanted them to feel as helpless as she did for 3 weeks straight. Hermione wanted them to feel weak.

"Yes, Hermione. Of cour-AHHH!" Harry and Ron both dropped to the ground, twitching.

Hermione stood in awe at her actions.

She had just crucio'ed her best mates. The only two people who ever were kind to her.

'But, then again,' She thought, "Even our friendship was based on them being uncontrollable gits with asshole tendencies. I would've never been attacked by that damned troll if they weren't uncontrollable gits with asshole tendencies. Everything bad that has ever happened to me had something to do with them being involved."

Her mind became rampaged

'It wasn't fair. I was nothing but a good friend to them and they were nothing but hazards to me.' She continued.

Hermione just stared at them on the ground, squirming in the excruciating pain the she understood best.

She saw movement from her right peripheral.

"Expelliarmus!" Dumbledore spelled, pointing his wand at her, his eyes wandering still without sight.

"Protego!" His wand flew from his hands, "You're better than this Dumbledore. Are you not supposed to be the best wizard ever? No wonder Voldemort's winning this war. It's because you underestimate those around you and you lie like a serpent." Hermione smirked, happy to see the flicker of bewilderment in his eyes.

"Hermione, listen to me, you mus-"

"No, you listen to me!" The witch's voice was booming, then went to a gentle purr, "You planned for my demise. You watched as I was ripped to pieces by those who are meant to be my family." She looked over to Ron and Harry. The hex had long been taken off, but they were knocked out in exhaustion.

"It was for-"

"I know! I know! 'It was for the greater good'." Hermione shook her head.

The red and blues of the fire reflected off of the marble walls and pillars. The men and women in the portraits joined in the screaming as the flames starting licking at their canvases.

Ginny and Molly Weasley's bodies were getting a bit fried. Waving her wand, Hermione brought them back to consciousness. She didn't want them dead, only hurt.

Ms. Granger could hear their chattering and steps in the background, but knew that she would be safe for the next 5 minutes while they assessed Harry and Ron.

It was always about Harry and Ron.

Sighing, she spoke, "You people say that muggles are cruel? Do you see what you've made me become. Do you see what I am doing!" She was shaking a bit, but not in fear, in rage.

"You can stop, Hermione. You can make all of this end right now, just...just give me the wand." Dumbledore's face was sweaty with the heat of the room.

Hermione shook her head, her blood matted hair moving slightly.

"Expecto Patronum!" She turned to look at where the sound came from.

Harry. He was awake and summoning the Order for back-up.

She had to work quick, they were sure to kill her was they saw what had occurred.

There was no going back now.

Looking back at Dumbledore, Hermione replied to his offer, "No, professor. There's no going back for me. But I'm going to make sure that there isn't any going back for you either. Goodbye, professor."

He shook his head rapidly, running at her. "No. No! Hermione, no!"

"Avada Kedavra!" The green light shot from her wand and into his chest, his body absorbing it.

Then, he plopped onto the hard marble floor.

Like the mallet closing a case.

The whooshes of Order members arriving moved the air.

Hermione looked at Harry in the eye as he now stood in front of her. She didn't see him coming but he was there staring at her.

"Why, Hermione, why?" He begged. As if he didn't already know.

Hermione smiled at him, tears and sorrow gone, only thrill and power coursing through her veins. "It was for the greater good, Harry."

Order members and audits alike were closing in on her, running at her with battle cries.

Hermione looked at the faces of her friend's one last time; a single tear left her left eye as she apparated from the chaos as she realized her fate.

She was completely alone.


	3. Chapter 2: Like a Lamb to Slaughter

Chapter 2: Decisions, Decisions

Any idiot would know not to hide in the Forbidden Forest.

It was more dangerous than the outside world with it's trees alone. That's why Hermione Granger had been staying there for 3 days now.

No one would suspect the "Brightest Bitch of Her Age", as Ronald Weasley called her, to stay somewhere so treacherous. Granted, it wasn't as if she had many other options to pick from. Not only did she have to be fearful of Voldemort's Death Eater's murdering her, she had to worry about Dumbledore's too.

It was colder than a ghoul's balls on the wet, icy ground. Hermione had no blankets for warmth and her wand broke shortly after arriving, so there wasn't much hope for shelter or fire.

Everything she had ever owned was in her trunk at Hogwarts. Which was was gone by that point, not that she was shocked. If someone were to attack Hermione the way she attacked them, she would look for any type of retaliation possible, even if their clothes and books were all she could get her hands on.

"Merlin!" She opened her eyes, just to snap them closed again, "My books!"

All of her precious books, gone. She had worked herself to the bone every summer to exchange currencies and buy those books.

'Crookshanks!'

Probably gone too or at least taken, never to be seen again.

The waterworks started again.

"Maybe she shouldn't have reacted so badly." Hermione whispered to herself, "I should have just taken it like a soldier instead of turning into a crazy bitch." She sniffled.

"No." She said into the air.

No, she didn't regret anything, just hated that she didn't have a dry, warm room to lie in, a soft bed to sleep in, or at least a book to read to occupy herself. She was alone with only her thoughts to keep her company.

Hermione laughed aloud, "I guess now I know why Bellatrix Lestrange is so insane. If I had to endure 14 years of this, I'd probably be nuts too." She hummed, wrapping her arms around her legs, rocking lightly.

She was famished; her stomach constantly rolling.

"Ha! You'd think that the first thing Molly would do when I was found was cook and feed me. But, that was obviously an ill-conceived thought." Her eyes followed a tiny beetle crawling beside her.

Hermione laid there on the cold forest floor, burrowing under a heap of grass,dirt, and sticks to avoid the rainfall.

She didn't want any sickness to add insult to injury. She needed to survive and figure out how to do so without being captured and put to death.

The witch had not came across any centaurs or acromantulas, thank Merlin. She was defenseless without her wand, too weak physically to actually hurt anyone with my hands. A small mercy to not have to continue fighting.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep a bit. A hard task it proved to be with the worry of losing one's life squeezing the back of their neck. However, the gods must have taken pity on her, because With a few minutes, she was unconscious from intense fatigue.

Hermione's dreams were not anything special, just faces and words.

Voldemort's face.

Dumbledore's face.

Harry's face.

Ron's face.

Green lights.

Avada Kedavra.

SNAP!

Hermione was awake immediately, trying to ball herself deeper into the den o' dirt she made and listened.

Silence.

She was as silent as could be, her breathing the only thing making a sound. It seemed that heavy breathing was all that was needed because Hermione was surely was caught.

"Please...please don't hurt me. Please." The frightened witch pleaded. All of her rage and energy from that eventful day, was gone. She was but a blubbering mess hoping for a break from the fear and hurt.

"Granger?" The voice was familiar; deep, smooth but biting.

Hermione looked up, craning her neck to confirm the identity.

"Malfoy? What..what are you doing here?" She asked, "Are turning me in? To the Death Eater's? To the Ministry of Magic? Please, Malfoy, please don-"

"Oh, quit the beggary, Granger. It's not becoming of a Gryffindor." Draco Malfoy snarked snottily, "I'm not going to do anything to you."

A confused Hermione crawled from her makeshift home.

After struggling to stand, with no help from scowling Malfoy, she was erect and looking pointedly at him.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She spat haughtily. Her fists were balled and her body was in defense mode, even though it was clear that she had little probability in winning any fight against Draco Malfoy in her condition.

She hadn't noticed before, but Malfoy was muscular; his chest larger than she ever took note of.

"As someone wanted by every Dark and Light wizard on Earth, I would be a lot more tethered." Malfoy smirked, looking down at me with his hands behind his back playfully.

"What do you want?" Hermione questioned. Answers meant life or death at this point, she had little patience in having a back and forth with him. Granted though, it wasn't as if she wasn't used to the whole "life and death" lifestyle.

"I don't want anything." He replied, sticking his hands into his pockets, walking around slowly, "The Dark Lord wants you."

Hermione's blood ran cold. She always knew that Voldemort's side would try to rid of her at any given moment, but now that she don't have the half-assed protection of the Order, as muggles say: her ass was grass.

The young woman slowly began taking steps to the right, planning of a way to run without being caught.

"Ah ah ahh." Malfoy teased, pointing his wand at her, "Locomotor Mortis."

Her legs locked, no longer voluntary body parts, but an enemy of her own person.

Hermione knew better than to struggle, that would only lead to falling over. This was magic, not fallible ropes.

"I will not be joining you to my death, Malfoy." She mustered.

He came to stand in front of her, his robes billowing in the wind. It was only drizzling now.

"Did you hear me say anything about your death, Mudblood?" Hermione only stared at him, waiting for the joined apparation that would lead to Voldemort and her impending murder, "You always were an insufferable know-it-all. An embarrassment even to muggles." He shook his head.

"No, no murder. He actually has a...preposition for you." Malfoy explained enigmatically, "Though, it's definitely questionable as to why he'd think you, of all mudbloods..." he trailed.

Grabbing her arm, they were sucked into a whirl of transportation, with only a "pop" in their wake.

The witch's heart was thumping as they landed on the black, marble floor. It was intimidating and threatening. The exact reflection of who resided here.

She was scared to look up, too frightened to stare her end in the eyes.

Hermione felt Malfoy's presence disappear, no doubt apparating from the sounds of the space next to me.

It was warm. 'Too warm.' She thought, shivering at the shock of it.

It was definitely a relief to not feel the damp frigidness of the Forbidden Forest anymore, though. At least she's die in comfort.

"Lift your head." A surprisingly smooth voice commanded softly. The voice of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

The voice of Voldemort.


	4. Author’s Note: Tumblr

Hey y'all, it's me.

I've been getting a lot of messages about where y'all want the direction of the story to go and many ideas to include. If you have things you'd like to be included, please go to my tumblr: RoseofDixie and submit it.

You can do so anonymously if y'all wish, but I'd definitely love to follow the blogs of my fanfic followers if you choose to show your account.

Okay, that's all, I'm going to upload tomorrow night, but I would really like to see what yalls thoughts were.


	5. Chapter 3: Cards on the Table

Chapter 3:

Cards on the Table

A long, dark table where regal-looking chairs sat was ahead of her. The room itself screamed "affluent" with a beyond cathedral ceiling, marble flooring, and dark silver pillars bordering the room.

At the far end, a young man sat.

His black hair neatly slicked to the side, handsome, dark eyes cold and calculating, his lips upturned in a grin. His nose...there.

This wasn't the Voldemort Hermione had fought before; the Voldemort with thin and snake-like appendages. No red eyes and a flat, serpentine nose. This was a handsome young man of about 25 or younger with his voice.

There was no doubt that this was Voldemort, though. He had his essence, his slyness. His soul.

It was an understatement to say she was shocked.

Him sitting there in a wizarding suit with a thick, long snake laying on his shoulders leisurely. The dark green and black drapes were hanging off from the walls with 2 great gray fireplaces running on either side.

"Please, come and sit." Voldemort gestured to the seat adjacent to his own. He returned his hand to a neat fold on the table.

The silence was almost deafening.

'I guess I don't have much of a choice, might as well comply,' was her only thought, fear having left her with the apparition.

"Good idea, Ms. Granger." He sounded. Hermione was getting pretty sick of people just trekking into her mind whenever they wanted to. She was amid some self-training in occulmency before Dolohov took her, Hermione had hoped that she'd be a master by now if not for the..incident.

Slowly walking to the gestured chair, she sat beside Voldemort himself. Hermione was cautious, even though it was apparent that she could be killed whenever he decided.

"You're a smart young lady, Hermione Granger." His voice sounded, his eyes steadily peering into her own.

"So they say." She said back cockily. She was convinced that was going to die anyway, so why not have fun?

He chuckled to himself while the snake hissed, "Calm down, Nagi." He cooed at the python, petting its head, "So, tell me, smart girl, why did you decide to kill Dumbledore and attack your own Potter fan club? It was quite the splendid surprise. Did you not know you would be hunted like a dragon?"

The young witch sighed, "It wasn't my first thought, if that's what you're asking."

"Well, please do inform me. What was?" This question made her freeze. He knew exactly what started it.

Voldemort was the reason Dolohov had her in the first place.

"To...hurt those...who hurt me." It was a simple, but weighted response.

"I know what happened, Hermione." She looked up at him, "In your time of utmost need, your friends turned their backs on you with only the spurn of lost loved ones fueling them." He continued, "After being tortured for 21 days by Dolohov; slashed, beaten, stabbed, violated, strangled, flagellated, starved, electrocuted, urinated on-"

"Please." She entreated through whisper. She couldn't take anymore of reliving those days, "Please stop."

Voldemort was silent for a little, but Hermione quickly learned that he wasn't one to do so very long.

Who knew that the Dark Lord was a chatty Cathy?

"I apologize. If it's any solace, I did not order that of him. He was meant to be teaching the fledglings the ways of the Dark Arts, not abducting you." It did give her a little bit of closure, "If he would have brought you here when he initially captured you, it would be a different story." She looked back up at him from her lap, "You and I both know such. I don't beat, I don't strangle, and I definitely do not rape." The word struck through Hermione like lightning. She looked back down "Those are muggle methods. No elite pureblood would ever stoop to that level of savagery. That's why I've rid of him."

That was news.

'Voldemort killed Dolohov? For hurting me?', Hermione thought, that gave her great pleasure.

'Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves,' She continued, 'He only killed him for going against his orders.'

"It was a bad decision to put him head of the learners, anyway. He was always weak to his desires. That's why I put Bellatrix in charge of them. I would have done it in the first place but she was...in a surgery of sorts. Bellatrix is also who you'll be partnered with until you learn our ways. I expect you to be compliant. Because of your...muggleborn status, you will not be taken to easily, you'll have to prove you-"

'What was he getting on about?' Hermione thought, her mind screaming at her, 'I wasn't staying here! On his side!'

"Whoa whoa whoa, what are you talking about? I'm not becoming the follower of an evil man who wishes to kill my kind! Are you mad? Why would you even believe such a thing? I'm a muggle born for Merlin's sake." She was flabbergasted. Who wouldn't be when the man that has always sought to kill you offers to take you in? This didn't make sense. He hated all non-purebloods. Why would he keep her alive, and well too?

"Ms. Granger, you do understand that you are hunted for now, correct?" The dark haired witch nodded, "You have no where to run and no where to hide. Your parents' have no clue who you are, the Weasley's would burn you alive if you were to show up to their door. I am your only hope. I shall not underestimate my opponent as the Order has to you. You are an asset, any idiot knows that. I am but a businessman, what kind of businessman would I be if I were to let you go? A very unsuccessful one that is."

It seemed that he knew everything.

She really didn't have anywhere to go and if Voldemort could find her in the Forbidden Forest that easily, than Hermione would be dead before she could blink.

"You cannot tell me that you have never be interested in the Dark Arts. Every great witch or wizard has. You seek knowledge as any great witch or wizard does also. We will not commend you for such a wonderful trait. A "know-it-all" survives it all."

Still...nothing to say. The brilliant witch couldn't deny that. She had some books from the Restricted Section in her trunk back at Hogwarts. They were very informative and compelling, and she had wanted to know everything she could.

Hermione didn't think it was necessarily a bad thing, just an...intellectual thing.

Something Harry and Ron would never understand.

"We could train you and teach you everything you have ever wanted to know. Show you everything you have ever wanted to see. Take you everywhere you have ever wanted to go.There is no bad magic. All magic is good magic because it's magic. Magic is knowledge and knowledge is power and power is authority and authority is ultimate reign. Tell me that you wouldn't wish for unlimited knowledge. Tell me that when you saw Dumbledore's soul leave his eyes, you did not feel the thrill of power running through you! Tell me you didn't feel the rush. The rush that people string themselves on flesh-deteriorating toxins to feel. Tell me!"

Hermione Jean Granger couldn't deny this either. She felt it. She felt it all over. It was almost an aphrodisiac, adrenaline, endorphins, heroine all in one wand. The knowledge part was appealing, too. 'Everything I have ever wanted to research with no worries?', she thought to herself.

"See? No one will hurt you here, I'll make sure of it. Nagini here is really just a softie to those she knows she is safe with. The Order tells stories of me torturing my Death Eaters. I do no such thing, I promise you. I don't have to torture anyone. The only reason I kill any of my own, is for the sole fact that they have done something to threaten this party or to leave us all vulnerable. I use love and compassion to keep my followers. They follow me because they know that I will keep them safe and lead them to salvation. I shall do the same for you, for us. My army is a fraternity of sorts. We are brothers and sisters here. Brotherhood is the way of life. You will be cared for. You will be loved. You will be safe. I can guarantee it."


End file.
